Last year, residents of Tajikistan financed 605 kilometers of rural roads at their own expense, the Minister of Transport Khudoyor Khudoyorzoda told reporters in Dushanbe on January 31.

“In all, 875 kilometers of roads were repaired last year,” aid the minister.  “The national budget provided 60.8 million somoni, the local budgets provided by 8.9 million and 75.5 million somoni were spent by entrepreneurs and residents.”

Entrepreneurs and local residents financed improvement of rural roads, Khudoyorzoda said.  He noted that the Ministry had provided special machines and specialists.     

“We provide special machines and specialists for improvement of roads at the expense of entrepreneurs and local residents,” said the minister.  “Thus, 155 tons of bitumen were used last year for repairing roads in Rasht (eastern Tajikistan) and 131 tons of this amount were purchased by local entrepreneurs.  We intend to continue this practice as well.”

He further added that asphalting one meter of road costs 26.00 U.S. dollars and asphalting one kilometer of road costs 198,000 U.S. dollars.